Protector unit construction



Sept. 19, 1950 J. s. BAKER 2,522,700

PROTECTOR UNIT CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l m I j a a M w \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\&

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I 1! II! I! III .1 .rrl llillllllltlrlrilllll ll J. S. BAKER PROTECTOR UNIT CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Aug. 29, 1946 sgpt. I9, 1950 Patented Sept. 19, 1950 PROTECTOR UNIT CONSTRUCTION John S. Baker, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Cook Electric Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application August 29, 1946, Serial No.

693,796. Divided and this application November 15, 1947, Serial No. 786,242

14 Claims.

This invention relates to protective structures and apparatus, particularly for cable terminals, such as terminal boxes adapted to be mounted on telephone poles or other supports carrying telephone line cables to provide for ready connection to the drop wires leading to the subscribers instruments.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 693,796, filed August 29, 1946.

It is more or less common practice to install such boxes or cable terminals without special arrester protection therein for the individual lines. Such lines may be few in number, of short length, in a neighborhood thought to be comparatively free from disturbances or in general in a. locality not warranting the installation of a, larger, more expensive type of cable terminal. If disturbances are found to exist in certain lines, reliance may be placed on protective devices installed at the particular subscribers stations.

However, the danger is ever present; high potential power lines may be erected and endanger all or only a portion of the lines, or other conditions may exist making it desirable that all or a portion of the lines radiating from a terminal be protected. Yet the conditions may be such that new or more expensive types 01 terminals are deemed unwarranted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrester or discharger and cabl terminal construction and apparatus whereby, at comparatively small expense, any or all the lines from the cable terminal may be provided conveniently and at any time with the desired protection.

Further objects are the provision of such protection without requiring changes in construction of the boxes themselves or their installations other than in the covers, whereby the extra cost oi manufacture, installation and maintenance is kept to the mainimum, and the protection may be readily afforded to the boxes in use.

Further objects are the provision of arresters on a removable support over the studs of a cable terminal and in operative relation thereto, where by the latter may be exposed by removing the support and the lines connected to the studs be protected when the support is secured in place; the provision of readily attachable and detachable unitary arresters on such support, and the provision of such a support on the cover of the housing of the terminal.

Still further objects are the provision of selfcontained unitary or button type arresters or dischargers which may be detachably and individually secured to such supports and which may have spring terminals suitably to engage or operatively connect the arresters with the studs or fixed part of the installation when the support or cover is in place on the terminal box or other device.

Still further objects and advantages will appear from the description and claims to follow, in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section of the terminal box taken on the line [-1 of Fig; 2, the upper end of the cable cavity at the rear of the box, however, being shown in full plan;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the box in mounted position but with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a'vertical section of the box on the line 3--3 of Fig. l, the cable being shown in full;

Fig. 4 is a central section on an enlarged scale through the button arrester or discharged and its support, said section being taken on the line 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5'is an end or face view of the arrester on a, similar scale and looking toward the right in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 (Sheet 1) is a detail fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 2 showing an alternative way of securing the cover to the box;

As illustrated in these drawings, the cable terminal structure comprises a housing, preferably of sheet metal such as pressed steel, having forwardly extending sides l0 and I I and a rear wall l2. Rear wall 12 is dished outwardly to form a cavity portion [3 at the back of the insulated mounting or faceplate l4, and its edge walls are drawn with a slight taper away from the rear wall, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, in the direction of the mounting bracket I5. The housing may be mounted upon and secured to the bracket IS in any of the well known ways, which bracket may then be suitably fastened to the usual telephone pole or other support.

Informing the housing, a recessed opening I5 maybe provided in one wall of the cavity portion through which a'cable I! is adapted to enter. Solder [8 may then be puddled in this recess to form a tight connection between the cable and the housing. The cable may then extend up along the bracket l5 and through the strap l9 carried by the bracket l5.

The cable conductors thus entering the cavity l3 may be fanned out andsecured respectively to the rear ends or heads of contact studs or binding posts 20 mounted in and extending through the faceplate [4, as by half hitches, and soldering M is provided with tion material. although this is optional and'may vary. binding posts or studs 25! on the face of the plate is extend through raised mountings or bosses molded on said facewhich tendto eliminate surface leakage. They may be arranged in staggered vertical rows and the studs preferably provided with squared heads firmly embedded in the mounting plate to prevent turning. On their forward ends they are provided with the usual threaded binding nuts 25 to receive the drop wires leadingto the subscribers instruments.

Across the top and bottom edges of the mounting plate M are channel bars 'or members and 21 extending the full width between the side walls 58 and H of the housing. Bolts 28 at the four corners of the mountingnplate M pass through the inside flanges ofthe channels 26 and 2?, the mounting plate !4 and the outside housing 2 to secure all these parts together. The inside flange of the top channel 25 may be slit from the edge to the web'of the. channel at the vertical edges of the back plate l4, and the end portions of that flange then turned or bent back into line with-the web to thereby; fillin the opening from the web to the housing "l2.

At the lower channel 21, provision is made 'for taking out the drop wires to the subscribers stations. Th s may be done by severing the web and inside flange of the channel in linewith the edges of the mounting plate ldyleaving only the top flange intact to the sides [Band I I of the housing. Then by mounting a slidingplate 29 secured by screw 3!] sliding. in slot 311 on the outside of the web of the channel 21, at each side, the openings for the drop'wires maybe closed so far as possible to keep outsnow, rain, dirt, and insects at said openings. Suitablesprings may be provided to constantly urge said cover plates 29 toward their closed positions;

A sheet metal cover 32 for the box-may be provided, said cover having a top wall 33 and side walls 3 and 35; This cover, therefore,may be slipped or pushed over the box from the front and removed in the same way.

This cover may be secured tightly to' the box by screws 36 inserted from the outside and threading into holes 3! in the tenor outer flanges of the channels 26 and 21.

As an alternative method of securing the cover in closed position, as indicated in Fig. 6, suitable-angle brackets 38 may be welded or otherwise seemed to the insidefaces of the housing side walls Ill and H, and the rcover'32 be provided with suitable screws, similar to the screws 36, passing therethrough and threading into holes 39 in the inwardly projecting legs of said brackets 38.

In either case, the cover may be firmly secured in closed position for various reasons, among which may be mentioned that the dischargers or arresters now to be described may be carried by the cover and arranged to contact 4 respectively, with the forward ends of the contact studs or binding posts 20 to establish conductive relation therewith for carrying oil and safely grounding the high potential charges to which the telephone lines may be subjected.

In order to accomplish this ina simple and practical manner, the inside of the cover is provided with a metal plate 4:), welded or otherwise fastened thereto and of a size to cover the area of the studs 26 on the back plate i l. Individual arresters or dischargers, preferably of the buttontype and generally designated 4!, are removably attached to the inside of this plate is opposite the said contact posts or studs 25 on the back plate E4 when the cover is closed on the terminal box. ,Each discharger 43 is preferably provided with a protruding contact terminal 42 which is resiliently supported in the discharger and is of a sufficient area of contact surface inevitably to engage and make proper conductive contact with thebinding post or stud 20 opposite it when the cover is closed. These terminals 42 normally stand out far enough to be'pressed back by the studs 20, when the cover is closed, to make sure that a good contact is established with each other, notwithstanding some variations in height of the studs or dis- :largers or precise axial alignment of the same.

As shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 4 and 5, the discharger or arrester 4% preferably is of the. button type, and in this instance may comprise a metallic body, shellor casing member 43 having a threaded stem 44 adapted to be'screwed into asuitable threaded hole in the inner face of the plate 40 which, as stated, covers the area of all studs and of course is provided with such a. threaded hole opposite each stud when the cover is in place.

This body preferably seats firmly and squar ly on the said plate and makes "good electric conductive connection therewith. It may be readily attached to or detached from the plate. While the outside is shown cylindrical, it may be flat sided, such as hexagonal, octagonal, or any desired form.

Within this hollow body, shell, or casing 43 are located the two spark gap electrodes 45 and 46 and dielectric 41 between them..'The electrodes may beef the same. material and size, and are preferably small circular discs of suitable high-grade carbon. The bottom electrode 45 fits and is seated-in the bottom recess of the body 43 and therefore in good contact therewith. The dielectricdl may be in the form of a thin ringof celluloid or other suitable material, with a. comparatively large circular opening 48 in the mid section, and its outer periphery extending beyond the outer. peripheries of the electrodes 45 and 46 and substantially to the inner wall of the hollow cap member 49 (tobe described). By this means the inner electrode 45 is positively separated by the insulating dielectric 41 from the metal of the body 43 even at the adjacent annular corner surrounding the electrode 45. The said electrode is also insulated from the metal can by the-insulating spacing sleeve 53'. The two electrodes, as usual, are suitably spaced and conductively separated by the dielectric 41 and air'gap at 48.

The hollow cap 49 is preferably threaded to screw into the body portion as indicated to hold all parts of the discharger solidly together. It has an internal flange or top portion 50 witha 5' large central openingthrough which the resili-' ently supported terminal 42, before referred to. passes.

This terminal 42 is preferably in the form of a cylindrical plunger having an enlarged circular head or' flange 5|, and is engaged and outwardly pressed by suitable spring means, preferably in the form of dished washers 52 which are heattreated to spring temper and grouped, as shown, between the plunger head 5! and the inner face of the electrode 46. Such a spring is known in the art as a Bellville spring, and is especially useful here in distributing the axial pressure uniformly about the electrode and the plunger head, to provide a large area of contact between its several members and between it and the plunger head and electrode for a good conductive path for the current and one not subject to deterioration or damage thereby of its function as a spring.

This spring is surrounded by a sleeve or tubing 53 lining the cap 49, and the chamber is sealed by the disc ring 54, both of which are of suitable insulating material.

'The cap 49 when tightened includes the seal plate 54 and tube 53, the latter pressing against the dielectric 41 and the latter against the peripheral seat in the body 43, so that all are clamped together in rigid sealed relation. The terminal 42 is guided in its axial movement by the seal ring or disc 54 and is restrained from outward movement by the flange or head 5| engaging the said ring. Theplunger 42 moves in a closely fitting aperture in the seal disc 54. Electrode 45 is pressed by the spring 52 against electrode 45 so that a fixed spark gap is retained. The path for current through the arrester is through the terminal plunger 42, the Bellville spring 52, the electrodes and spark gap (if it is jumped) and through the body 43 and stem 44 to the plate 40. As stated, this plate may be welded or otherwise secured to the cover, the latter is secured to the metal terminal box, the box is secured to themetal bracket l5, and the latter is always suitably grounded.

The cap 49 may be provided with kerfs or slots 55 for the application of a suitable wrench for tightening or loosening same, or its rim may be otherwise formed for that purpose.

These button dischargers are thus ruggedly constructed and are not subject to derangement or breakage through rough handling. They are readily mounted on the cover, and when so mounted and the cover closed and secured in position, the spring plungers engage and satisfactorily contact the ends of the corresponding studs or binding posts 20 and furnish lightning arrester protection to the lines connected therewith. When the cover is removed, the terminal box parts are as accessible for all servicing as before and as if no dischargers were present.

It may happen that less than all possible lines are connected to the box, in which case only those arresters required need be supplied. It may, also happen that some lines connected to the box do not need the protection, while the others do need it, in which case only those needing the protection may be supplied, the other holes in the cover being left unfilled.

I Thebuttons themselves are small, are unitary self-contained devices, are factoryassembled and adjusted, are not liable to get out of order in handling, and the servicemen may be supplied with a quantity to carry in their kits to use when and where desired.

- It will be understood, of course, that the drop wires are adapted to be connected to the bind- 6 ing posts 20 at their front ends, by the binding nuts 25, and are then passed laterally through the adjacent holes 60 in the farming strips 22 and 23, and thence downwardly in the side pas-' sages of the box and out to the subscribers, the sliding covers 29 at the bottom openings of said passages permitting the wires to pass therethrough. The subscribers lines, therefore, are connected to the said binding posts 20, and the arresters or dischargers which contact with said posts when the cover of the box is closed thus furnish the said lines with the desired protection.

In many forms of standard terminal boxes already installed, such buttons may be applied without installing new boxes, and in some no greater change than a new cover may be required. While the supporting plate 40 is here shown attached to the cover, it is realized that other means may be employed without departing from the broad scope and principle of the invention as hereinafter defined. For example, the unit pro-, tector plate or support may be applied to various banks of line studs, however situated, to furnish protection to the lines, whether in individual or cable form, connected thereto.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An arrester unit for a plurality of lines having a bank of connecting studs for its lines comprising a supporting plate adapted to be detachably secured in position over said studs, said plate having mountings for carrying arresters in front of the studs, and arresters on said plate, each arrester having an outwardly springpressed plunger forming the line terminal thereof and abuttingly contacting and resiliently pressing against the stud of the line to be protected thereby when the said plate is 50 secured in position.

2. An arrester unit for a plurality of lines having a bank of connecting studs for its lines comprising a support adapted to be associated with the bank, said support having mountings for carrying individual arresters opposite the said studs, said support being readily removable from the studs and the arresters being readily attachable to and detachable from the support mountings, each arrester having a resiliently yieldable line terminal contacting the stud of the line to be protected thereby when the support is placed in operative relation with the bank.

. 3. An arrester unit for a plurality of lines having a bank of closely spaced connecting studs for its lines comprising a plate adapted to be readily and detachably secured in position over and in front of the bank of studs, and button type arresters detachably connected with said plate opposite said studs, each arrester having a, resilient line terminal making abutting contact with the stud of the line to be protected thereby when the plate is secured in operative position over the studs.

4. A terminal construction comprising a housing, an insulating plate therein, a bank of connecting studs on the plate for the lines to the outside, an arrester unit for the terminal including. a .plate:.facing said, studs and having mount? ings. thereon-for 8116517815301313051138 said studs, arresters on-saidplate, each of said arresters havinga forwardly spring-pressed plunger form ing the line terminal of the arrester, means for pressing the plate toward the studs and securing it in that position, the said terminals abutting the ends of the corresponding studs and-being compressed thereby to form good contact therewith in such movement of the plate to provide arrester protection for the corresponding line or lines, and a cover for the housing and unit.

5. A terminal comprising a housing, a mounting plate therein, connecting studs mounted in said plate for permanent connection with outside wires at the back of the plate, said studs having provision at the front of the plate for connecting distributing or drop wires therewith, a cover for said housing over the studs,and lightning, arresters in branch circuits carried by the cover in positions to be brought into operative engagement respectively with said studs when the cover is closed on the housing.

6. A cable terminal comprising a housing, a mounting plate therein, connecting studs mounted on said plate for connection with wires of the system, said studs having provision for connecting distributing or other wires therewith, a cover for said housing extending over said studs, and lightning arresters in branch circuits mounted on the cover opposite the said studs and having resiliently compressible contact terminals to engage the, said studs in protective relationwhen the cover is closed on the housing.

'7. A cable terminal comprising a housing, a mounting plate therein, connecting studs mounted on said plate for connection with the wires of the cable, said studs having provision for connecting distributing or drop wires therewith, and a cover for'said housing extending over said studs, said cover having provision on its inner face for the reception of individual readily attachable and detachable lightning arresters for said studs, said arresters being in grounded branch circuits and being adapted to be brought into operative relation with the appropriate studs when the cover is closed on the housing, whereby lightning protection may be provided forany or all the lines represented by the studs.

8. A cable terminal comprising a homing, a mounting plate therein, connecting studs mounted on said plate for connection with the wires of the cable, said studs having provision for connecting distributing or drop wires therewith, a cover for said housing extending over said studs, a plate secured to the inside of the cover over the said studs, said plate having lightning-arrester receiving sockets opposite the studs, and lightning arrester units inserted in said sockets, said units having terminals Operatively engaging the said studs when the cover is in closed position on the housing.

9. A cable terminal comprising a housing, a mounting plate therein, connecting studs mounted on said plate for connection with the wires of the cable, said studs having provision for connecting distributing or drop wires therewith, a cover for said housing extending over said studs, a plate secured to the cover over the said studs, said plates having threaded sockets opposite the studs, and unitary lightning-arrester buttons threaded into said sockets, said buttons each having a resiliently compressible contact terminal engaging the corresponding stud when the cover is in closed position on the housing operatively to connect; the'stud: and line to which it is connected through the spark gap orthe,

arrester.

10. A protector unit-construction for a plurality of service lines having studs connectedtherewith and arranged in a predetermined-pattern in a bank, comprising a unit support adapted closely to face said bank in operative position and bodily movable toward and from the bank, said' unit support havingarrester mountings thereon corresponding in number and relative location to the studs of the bank, and spark-gap arresters in said mountings, each arrester having a dc pressible resiliently supported line terminal to.

conductively engage'the corresponding line stud and means to bodily presssaid unit support to- Ward the said bank and detachably secure it in,

operative position in front of the said bank with said arrester line contacts in operative engagement with the respective studs.

11. A protector unit construction comprising a panel and a plurality of connecting postsar-- ranged in a bank thereon and adapted to be connected to the respective service lines of the system, a unit supporting plate arranged to be mounted in front of said panelin close face-toface relation with said posts, and spark-gap arresters in branch circuit" relation to said service lines mounted on said plate opposite said posts, said arresters having outwardly springpressed line contacts, the plate being removably attachable in front of said panel Withthe line,

contacts ofthe arresters engaging the respective posts of the service lines when the unit is secured in operative position in front of the panel.

12. A terminal construction comprising a housing and a cover therefor, a base member in said housing, a plurality of posts on said base members arranged for use as terminal connections for incoming and outgoing wires, a grounded plate on said cover, and a plurality of arresters mounted on said plate engaging said posts in abutting relation when said cover is inpositionon said housing.

13. A terminal construction comprising a hous-= ing and a cover therefor, a base member in said housing, a plurality of posts on said base member arranged for use as terminal connections for incoming and outgoing wires, a plate on said cover, and a plurality of arresters mounted on said plate, said arresters each having a terminal projection engaging said posts in abutting relation when said cover is in position on said housing.

14. A terminal construction comprising a housing and a cover slidably fitting thereover, a base member in said housing, a plurality of posts on said base member arranged for use as terminal connections for incoming and outgoing wires,'a plate on said cover, and a plurality of arresters mounted on said plate, said arresters each having a resiliently projecting terminal engaging said posts in a sliding but abutting relation when said cover is slid into position on said housing.

JOHN S. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES ,PATENTS Number Name, Date 979,292 Harner Dec. 20, 1910 1,150,926 Britton Aug. 24, 1915 2,232,566 Shroyer, Feb. 18, 1941' 

